Portrayal of gender

Industry analysis Shari Anne Brill of Carat USA states, “For years, when men were behind the camera, women were really ditsy. Now you have female leads playing superheroes, or super business women”. The stereotypes of women as housewives or presented as sex symbols continued throughout the 1980s and arguably to a lesser extent in the 21st century.                                                                                .                                                              
While the depiction of women is confined to either the housewife or the ditsy bombshell, men are also depicted in unrealistic stereotypes - however, in general these stereotypes embody qualities--courage, stoicism, rationality--that society values.

In TV dramas, from the articles it shows that there are a lot less prominent female characters compared to males characters. During the 50s-70s women were portrayed with less depth and importance as male characters. Especially during children's television there are more male characters compared to female characters.

Prime time television since the 1950s has been aimed at and catered towards males. In 1952, 68% of characters in primetime dramas were male; in 1973, 74% of characters in these shows were male. In 1970 the National Organization for Women (NOW) took action. They formed a task force to study and change the “derogatory stereotypes of women on television.” In 1972 they challenged the licences of two network-owned stations on the basis of their sexist programming. 

In more recent research, NOW have found that:

• On primetime cable news programs, more than three-quarters of the hosts are white men and less than a quarter are white women. None of the hosts are people of color. The typical guest on these shows is white and male; overall, 67 percent of the guests are men and 84 percent are white.
• In children's television, male characters appear at about twice the rate of female characters.
• Animated programs in particular are more likely to portray male characters.
• Females are almost four times as likely to be presented in sexy attire and twice as likely to be shown with a diminutive waist.
• In a study of G-rated films from 1990-2005, only 28 percent of the speaking characters (both live and animated) were female. More than four out of five of the narrators were male. Eighty-five percent of the characters were white.

Gender clip analysis

I will be analysing gender on a clip from 'Wire in the Blood'. During the course of the clip there were more males shown while the only female shown appears to be a main character of the show. The two most prominent characters shown were one male and female.

At the start of the scene you can see the camera focused on the female character coming out of the house while the characters in front are faded out, which suggests how she is a main/ important character. The camera follows these characters then close-ups which cut to one perspective to another are shown. The characters appear to have some sort of bond as towards the end of the end of this segment, it doesn't take too much to convince him to help her out.

The sound on this scene is the background noise of the police outside the house while the dialogue between these two characters remains as the dominating sound indicating that these are both important characters.

The woman shown isn't at all treated like a damsel in distress character but appears as a serious and independent woman who appears to take her job very seriously. She appears to be around her mid-to late thirty's and wears a grey coat with a dark turtle neck. This presents a certain tone to this character as someone who is serious about her job as later on during the scene her boy accidentally called his nanny 'mum' which suggests she focuses on her work in the police more.

The scene the jump cuts to a sort of montage of the Tony - the male main character, viewing the case files in which this scene jumps to one file to the next hastening his deduction on the files. There is a predominant use of shaky cam in this clip which suggests haste and as they appear to be on a case.

The non diegetic music is shown to emphasize the intensity as he checks the files in hopes of helping the female protagonist. This shows that they have a deep partnership while it's implied that he isn't officially part of the police rather helping out the female protagonist.

The mise en scene appears to be based around a urban/suburban setting. The use of colours don't look vibrant as it is also set during the autumn/winter months as they wear coats. The scenery appears dark and depressing suggesting the dark tone of the show due to lack of vibrancy and washed out. The characters themselves seem ordinary while they look middle class rather than lower or higher class.

Tony appears also around his mid to late thirty's while he seems a little more laid back compared to the more serious female lead as he is also very well liked by her son when he appears. His appearance is also quite similar as his wears dark colours as well which suggests this TV show's premise is quite serious since the colours appear sort of washed out and lack vibrancy. He appears to get along well with the woman's son as they appear to bond quite well while watching TV also it appears that the son has a somewhat more open relationship with Tony in comparison.

Another scene shown presents what appears to be thugs in a sort of crack den looking area. The scene begins with an establishing shot of the outside of the house while a car pulls in which closes up to another character introduced. Characters presented are dressed in dark coats which suggests a cold atmosphere quite literally as it may be set during the colder months which reinforce the the cold a almost dark atmosphere presented as there isn't any vibrancy as the colours appear to be more saturated.

The use of camera is always up close and doesn't stray too far from characters as they like to show the facial expressions of the characters and also the characters are more presented than the setting itself as the show possibly focuses on character expressions on different situations so that the audience can identify the characters better rather than the bleak looking setting.

The female portrayal shows a female lead who appears as someone who takes their job seriously while the male character shown alongside her appears more laid back compared to her which shows contrasting characters. The main bald thug shown appears violent and in control of the other criminals which shows almost a hyper masculinity in this character.

Gender key terms

Gender - the state of being male or female

Archetype - a very typical example of a certain person or thing.

Stereotype - a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Hegemonic norms - The processes by which dominant culture maintains dominant position. E.g the use of institutions to formalize power.

Mediation -  is a process media companies such as newspaper companies go through to alter information that is within the Newspaper, News Report, Documentary etc. 

Male gaze theory - The male gaze is a concept coined by feminist film critic Laura Mulvey. It refers to the way visual arts are structured around a masculine viewer. It describes the tendency in visual culture to depict the world and women from a masculine point of view and in terms of men's attitudes.

clip analysis #2

I will be analysing gender on a clip from 'The Cops'. During the course of the clip there were more males shown while at the police station while at the start a female shown appears to be a main character of the show.
           
At the start of the scene you can see the camera focused on the female character heading to the police station while the camera is placed very close to keep the character in focus while the characters in the background are not shown but the non-diegetic sound adds to the rushed situation as it appears she is late for work. The camera is then used to follow her while keeping it as a very close mid shot throughout the scene which gives a sense of claustrophobia. The characters of the force later appear to have some sort of bond and familiarity as towards the end of the end of this segment they all converse.
               
The woman shown at the start appears very feminine with long her and a show of skin at the start while she practically strips when she reaches the changing rooms. At the start of the scene there is a close up of her removing her make up which directly links to femininity and from this scene alone you wouldn't assume she was a police officer due to her appearance at the beginning. She appears to be around her mid-to late 20s and wears a blue coat with while not wearing a top underneath. You could assume she likes to party as she appears like she came from a club and this could suggest how she behaves differently at work. Her appearance at work includes that she tied her hair up and is in uniform which looks drastically different than her in the beginning.
The scene moves without any cuts, to a new sergeant as it is mentioned that the late sergeant past away or got killed. It is hard to assume who the main character is but for the assumed protagonist at the start appears to be in more focus than the others while at the changing room there is a mid shot of all the police officers while the camera is made to stay on them. There is a predominant use of shaky cam in this clip which makes it more genuine.
         
 There are no cuts shown as the camera is made to stay. During the changing room scene the audience can see that the camera isn't made to stay still but appears as a handheld as when the characters are speaking, the camera is made to zoom in rather than a cut to a close up which shows how realistic the scene is as the scene carries out without a cut or transition to the next scene while the camera follows them to the next scene.

The female shown at the start is a lot less talkative compared to the other female officers as she appears to be taking on most of the conversation during the scene while she appears to have a good relationship to all the other police officers. The diegetic sound along with the close camera shots demonstrate how small and confined also it gives more attention to the characters rather than the setting.

The mise en scene mostly takes place in the police station. While not much is shown, the characters are more focused on which tells the audience that this is about the characters more than the setting.
The police station itself shows a male dominated area while the two female officers shown have different portrayals.

The female in focus appears to be feminine and perhaps a party girl as she has long, blonde hair and wears make up also the beginning scene shows that she could be a rookie as she is more quieter to the other male officers compared to the other female shown who interacts with most of the males. The 'protagonist' is shown interacting more with the other female character that does not appear at the changing room which suggests that she feels more comfortable with women.

Camera Shots

Camera shots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dawdUBRFuYI - panning



http://www.myfilmstories.com/classic-camera-angles-and-shots/

Establishing shot - An establishing shot in film making and television production sets up, or establishes the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects. It is generally a long- or extreme-long-shot at the beginning of a scene indicating where, and sometimes when, the remainder of the scene takes place.


Master shot - A master shot is a film recording of an entire dramatized scene, from start to finish, from an angle that keeps all the players in view. It is often a long shot and can sometimes perform a double function as an establishing shot.

Close-up - A close-up or close up in film making, television production, still photography and the comic strip medium is a type of shot, which tightly frames a person or an object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long shots cinematic photography.


Mid-shot - In film, a medium shot is a camera angle shot from a medium distance.


Long-shot -  (sometimes referred to as a full shot or a wide shot) typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings. 

Wide shot - In the wide shot, the subject takes up the full frame.

Two shot - A two shot is a type of shot employed in the film industry in which the frame encompasses a view of two people.

Aerial shot - A shot taken from a helicopter or a person on top of a building. Not necessarily a moving shot. The main source of light is behind the subject, silhouetting it, and directed toward the camera.

Point of view - A shot which shows the scene from the specific point of view of one of the characters

Clip Analysis

Clip analysis

 I will be analysing how different ages are presented on a clip of ‘Waterloo Road’

The scene begins with a low level close up that pans on moving feet. The scene then cuts to a full body shot of the two boys later also revealing earlier it was a teacher shown at the start. The scene cuts a close up to the camera being hidden away and both boys. It is then followed by a short pan of the two boys and the teacher.

 There are close ups when each character is talking to emphasise the dialogue. Once the camera is revealed there is a low mid shot of the teacher holding it. When the lady teacher is introduced there is a pan of her walking towards the three characters followed by a mid-shot of all the characters standing together. Every time there is a new situation shown, it includes a mid-shot that introduces the character as well as several pans to show the movement.

The footage is cut into different situations such as from the start with the camera incident, to the boy passing on information on a school incident. All these cuts to new scenes demonstrate how there are many issues presented that are mostly teenage oriented but also show adult characters.

This gives perspective on two different generations and how all the issues aren’t just school issues. The ages here present how the characters each get in to situations and how the programme is not just about teenage issues but how the link to adults and how the adults get mixed up into them. Music is also added in to effect the scene.

Sound from the start mostly came from dialogue and background noise however there is also music shown.

The scene where the man is dressed in what he considers ‘youthful’ cuts to almost cheesy rap music that mocks the appearance of the man as ongoing lookers and the students both show humorous expressions in the current situation.

This also demonstrate how age is interpreted, as the man appears in mockingly youthful clothing where he thinks it might appeal to the other students while the truth is that they find him funny to look at as he looks humorous in his outfit. The students mockingly laugh at him showing how teenagers and adults have different perspectives. The music is generally considered youthful and quite cheesy which highlights how the setting is in a high school which is filled with youths.

The mise-en-scene is a high school, symbolically it presents how children from primary school begin to mature and eventually grow into young men and women. While this is a high school setting there are adult characters shown primarily as teachers. The audience sees both adult and teenage perspectives and it shows how each of the characters react to each situation. The scenes transition quickly from classroom, to corridor etc. The setting is a generic and textbook example of a high school as someone who is in a high school I can see the similarities there are to it and how the layouts and teachers are. The starting scene demonstrates a clear distinct age difference with the similar aged students and the senior teacher dressed in professional attire while the next teacher that shows up is dressed quite casually showing three different generations. The high school setting comes with a lot of mundane to somewhat less mundane situations that are realistic portraying high school life.

The camera shots used such as close ups details the differences in age and detail the character appearance and dialogue. The students themselves all are in uniform of course with facial expressions and facial appearance highlighting their personalities rather than outward appearance.

The First teacher introduced shows a posh looking old teacher that also contrasts in terms of accent compared to the two boys presented in the beginning. He appears to show a dislike towards the boys as they may have been known by the teacher to misbehave. He appears to be smug once it is revealed that the camera they attempted to be kept hidden was revealed showing his satisfaction for busting the students.

The first teacher is dressed in a professional suit which presents a sort of authoritarian look compared to the students and when compared to the next teacher shown in the scene it demonstrates personalities presented on the programme both adult and teen.

The next teacher shown appears quite casual and somewhat contrasts the appearance of any character shown on the clip as she is the only one on the clip wearing a bright top. This also compared to the older teacher shows a younger adult presented.

The next student ‘Amy’ appears to show issues at home and clearly appears to be angered by his parents. Her personality shown suggests that she is very blunt and hard headed as later on she is seen confronting another student.

The next adults are then shown, like mentioned earlier we can see the so called outfit the man is wearing something rather embarrassing and doesn't seem to be well received amongst the students as it appears rather humorous.

There are many scenarios shown in just a 5 minute clip which shows how each of the characters have their own problems but may intertwine with each other though some situations seem mundane and set the mood more than others as a school filled with drama.

Other all we, can see that the students each carry their own personalities and perspectives as the situation changes from each transition along with the points of view from adults as the story itself is about the staff, students and adults linked to the students. Age is also presented in different ways as adults of different ages are shown differently while the youth of the show have their own types of personalities that make stands them out along with the scenarios they are involved with. This shows how busy with issues there are in the school.